Photo
Specs: 4.5cm x 4.5cm, with white background.
Photo must be taken within 6 months.
Please write applicant’s name and birthdate on back side of the photo.
Photo must be pasted on the application form.

Birth Certificate
IT must be issued within one year from PSA Main Office/Serbilis Outlet Center (Nationwide). We got ours from SM Bayad Centers.

Marriage Certificate (if the applicant is married)
IT must be issued within one year from PSA Main Office/Serbilis Outlet Center

Daily Schedule in Japan (TAIZAI YOTEIHYO ）

Bank Certificate
Validity of Bank Certificate is three (3) month from the date of issue

Applicant’s Income Tax Return (Form 2316) clear Photocopy (latest)

Certificate of Employment or other proof of income like Mayor’s Permit and DTI if you have business.

Visa application is actually free but agencies always ask for visa processing fees. It all depends on the travel agency and the kind of visa that you want to apply. Visa for the purpose of tourism varies from P800 (promo, especially on travel fairs) to P1500 and for a visa to visit relatives and friends (price is higher like P2500). Normally, Japan Visa application processing takes about 7 to 10 business days but it takes shorter for recurrent visitors.

Click this link to view the list of accredited agencies. Accredited agencies has International Air Transport Association (IATA )accreditation, which allows them to transact with travel agents and airlines worldwide. As for me, I transacted with JLT Travel & Tours and the processing took 6 business days. I found this agency during a travel fair in Trinoma mall. Though JLT Travel & Tours is not an accredited agency, I didn’t worry because their agency has a license. My friends processed their visas with Reli Tours and it took them 4 days only.

So friends, I encourage you to visit Japan, not just for a short vacation but for a hiatus. It is indeed one of the most beautiful countries in the world. I would definitely go back again. 🙂

From its powdery white sand, blue water and fabulous sunset to a wide variety of beach activities, and a great selection of bars and restos, no wonder Boracay Island is the most popular beach destination in the Philippines.

With the recent reopening of the island from rehabilitation closure, is it still worth visiting?

February 2009 was the first time I came to this island with friends for a few days of vacation. We stayed in small cozy inn/resort made of bamboo. There were sand arts in every station welcoming tourists, poi dancing at night, henna tattooing and hair braiding.

Cagban Port

The restaurants were mostly Pinoy and the only food chain we could find was Andoks. You were sikat then if you stayed at La Carmella — the popular resort back then. Everything seemed nice except that some establishments were near the sea and a few were even nearer.

And that was my memory of Boracay.

Tourism in Boracay already boomed back then, but nobody really thought about how the island would be more exploited with the increasing number of tourists coming every day.

The headlines about rehabilitating the island promised so much to the tourists. Visiting it became so hyped after reopening, especially for those who haven’t been there yet.

Last March, I came back, this time with family as my uncle wanted to celebrate his 60th birthday there. I still recognized Caticlan Port though a lot of things already seemed to have improved.

The whole family

Tito Bal’s cake

Ysa and Lucas

In Boracay, the white sand is still the finest and most powdery I’ve ever seen. There’s no need for aqua shoes exploring the shores, but other than that, the island looked more like a community of resorts and mall with establishments, bars and restos serving different cuisines side by side. And there are a lot of ongoing construction everywhere.

Lunch time at Tito and Tita’s room

Tatay, Lucas and I

Aura sa Boracay

My siblings and in-laws went for Helmet Diving (it cost P1000, cheaper than 2009) and saw ruins of some coral reefs. There is only one coral reef in the helmet diving area and that is where tourists take pictures. Yes, they were able to see fishes just because the guide was feeding them. I really wonder how the island looked before the rehabilitation.

The D Mall

I did enjoy the vacation because I was with family. My son is the happiest on the beach and I didn’t need to worry that he might step on some rocks on the shore as there was none at all. The sunset is still lovely, save for the fact that we shared it with a lot of other people so it was impossible to have a clean photo.

Sunset in Boracay

Would I come back a third time? Not any time soon. There are a lot of underrated beaches and islands in the Philippines that I haven’t been to and besides, the island still needs a decent break.

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Another spectacular attraction in Blue Mountains is the Jenolan Caves, which was our itinerary for the next day. Instead of visiting a zoo, Cath promised us that we would go see kangaroos and wallabies in the wild so she booked us a cabin at Jenolan Caves Cottages.

It was already dark on our way there. The Kangaroo Crossing signs in the road made us excited and Cath drove extra careful. We even saw actual kangaroos crossing the road. The passageway to the Jenolan Caves Cottages was in a forest full of woods. Imagining the place as a setting for thriller movie like ‘Into the woods’ gave us the creeps. However, the cabins looked homey. The wooden interior and fireplace gave it a cozy feel. What’s more homey was our home-cooked dinner of Pan Grilled Salmon, Broccoli and fresh mushroom soup.

Ging was the first to wake up the next day. Though I was still sleepy, I was more excited to see kangaroos so I woke up and prepared my camera phone the moment I saw Ging getting hers. We went out to the veranda. First, we saw one then there came another. We hurried to the other room to wake up Liza by pulling her legs. There were too many kangaroos already when we went out again. I think they’re used to people feeding them that’s why they go near cabins when they saw us. They look harmless but it was our first time to see them near so it was only when Mex found a playmate at the playground that we went down from the cabin to get closer to them.

It was something special, but we found out later that they were wallabies and not kangaroos, haha. It was almost afternoon when we reached Jenolan Caves – a tourist site with restaurants and lodgings built around 11 show caves and underground rivers. It has the world’s oldest caves so visiting is a must.

There are different timings for cave tours and these tours are categorized by what you can see inside the cave, the size of the group that can be accommodated, and the level of difficulty exploring it. Prices for cave tours range from 35 AUD to 220 AUD; however there are self-guided audio tours that come free when you buy a cave tour ticket.

While waiting for The Orient Cave tour to commence, we explored the Grand Arch – a cave ruin big enough to host an event like a concert, located at the entrance of Jenolan Caves. Bush walking is also for free and Jenolan is offering 6 scenic tracks. We walked around the surreal Blue Lake. Blue Lake track was an easy walk; it lasted for 20-30 mins. We passed by a very nice De Burgh’s bridge before seeing the flora and trees. The lake was a very blue color. There are also a lot of animals, I even heard a couple of kids telling their dad that they saw a snake near a rock but too bad I was not able to see the platypus living in the area.

After a nice introduction to the tourist site, we headed to the meeting place for the Orient cave tour where some tourists were already waiting. The tour is kids-friendly; the tour guide made the kids count the steps from the meeting point to the Cave entrance ‘Binoomea Cut’. The LED lights that are installed in the caves gave us a different way to view its grandest limestone formations. It took us 90 minutes to tour this 470 meters long, average difficulty cave. I never knew that there could be too much caves in just one place until my trip to Jenolan.

Somewhere down the Hartley road, the Talisman, wood fired pizza café, came to our view and the words ‘wood fired pizza’ made us curious so we stopped by for some coffee and pizza. The coffee was nicely brewed and the ingredients of pizza were fresh. The dough tasted nice and for me, as long as the ingredients are fresh, the taste will never go wrong. The place is rustic and quirky at the same time. A portion of the place had a display of merchandise that was both bohemian and modern.

It was still early in the evening when we reached the CBD area of Sydney so we just decided to watch a movie in an outdoor movie house. How cool is that for someone who hasn’t tried it? The movie house was like a big open parking lot with an establishment where people can buy snacks to go with their movie-watching. Some people even brought chairs to watch the movie outside their cars. It was our longest day in Sydney.

Day 6 – Circular Quay and Darling Harbour

Our 4th day in Sydney was a day without a tour guide. Cath drop us off at DFO and went to work while Mex came with us to explore the city. DFO is said to be the best shopping place in the country but when we saw the prices of the items, we all thought that the sale items in Singapore are much cheaper. We ended up not buying anything. Outside the mall, there was a Korean event that is open to public. We had some Korean food while Mex played in one of the play booths. It was a bit hard for us to go to Circular Quay from that place as the Koreans in the bus stop didn’t speak English, while the others didn’t know what bus we could take until a Filipino family suggested that we take a bus to the subway and go to Circular Quay by train.

The first place we went to at Circular Quay is the Museum of Contemporary Arts – a building that looks like boxes arranged asymmetrically in The Rocks. This museum is dedicated to exhibiting and collecting contemporary art, both from across the country and around the world. The exhibition that time was Primavera 2014. I won’t forget the single video work of Madison Brycoft “Entitled” wherein a lady shaved her head and place an octopus on the top of it. There was also the installation called Audio Helmet. Mex tried the helmet and wore it while exploring the room when a guide told us that he had to put the helmet back in its place.

We then stopped by at Paddys Market. Tourists go there for all the souvenirs they need. The market is clean and spacey and souvenir prices are less expensive compared outside. There are small koala bear stuffed toys for 5 AUD, refrigerator magnets worth 4 for 10 AUD, shot glasses priced at 10 AUD for 4 pieces and a lot more.

The last place we went to is Darling Harbour, where there were small events like film viewing and etc. The place glowed from the colorful night lights. I remember talking with a hotel guest at work saying that Singapore is like Darling Harbour and indeed they are similar in a lot of ways.

We had a harder time going home since we couldn’t find our way to the subway but we found some interesting scenes like some places in the city we passed by and a guy in Mario costume playing an electric guitar in the street. Those made us enjoy roaming around the CBD by just commuting

Day 7 – Hunter Valley

The last but definitely not the least place that we visited was the place I’ve been excited to visit. It’s for people who are interested to see where some of the known wines came from – The Hunter Valley. It seemed far but it was actually just two hours from Sydney and it gave us the feel of unobtrusive country charm. Too bad there was no event at the time.

On our way to Hunter Valley, we passed by a coffee shop with the most interesting interior and a wonderful patio named The Crossings. They specialize in coffee and they also sell authentic bits and pieces. I bought a kangaroo-shaped bottle opener that is made from metal and made by the hand of a blacksmith. It cost 40AUD, which is quite expensive but I really fell in love with the craftsmanship involved.

We stopped by another premier attraction in the area, which is the Hunter Valley Chocolate company. Here, they make fine chocolates with Australian dried fruits. They also sell gelato and some drinks. We bought some chocolates and nougats to bring to Singapore.

And then, finally, we made it to Hunter Valley vineyards and it seemed like they just harvested grapes. There are over 80 wineries in the area and they also offer tours covering from how to grow grapes, the process to produce wine and wine appreciation. Too bad we didn’t book for any tour; nevertheless we enjoyed strolling in the vineyards.

Bye Sydney

The next day, we spent the morning organizing our baggage and things. We didn’t feel like leaving but we had no choice, haha. We were able to maximize our time in Sydney because of Cath. Everything was amazing and unforgettable and I am hoping to come back.

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Whenever I think of Valentine’s date, a picture of crowded malls and restaurants is the first that comes to mind. I can’t even remember the last time I was out for Valentine’s day.

Now, I’m back in Manila. Lala and I have been trying to make up for our two years of long distance relationship. We decided to go out and have an unusual Valentines date.

We went to Quiapo, Manila, not to tour around one of the most notorious market in the world for counterfeit and pirated goods but to shop for mountain bike accessories.

Quezon boulevard in Quiapo is one of the well-known places for buying bicycles and accessories. And if you’re up for buying cheap China-made accessories, there are a lot of sidewalk vendors offering a range of products.

For serious cyclists, there are quality products in some of the shops. However I don’t suggest buying bicycles here as it is much cheaper in Cartimar in Libertad, Pasay.

When in Quiapo, don’t eat fastfood at the Filipino restaurants because the place is known for old Chinese eateries. One of the famous restaurants here is Ma Mon Luk.

Ma Mon Luk is named after a Chinese-Filipino chef/entrepreneur who is the innovator of siopao and mami here in Philippines. The eatery is an indoor open space ventilated with huge ceiling fans. The menu, plus framed write-ups and newspaper clips about the eatery hang on their wooden wall.

The place is an image of restaurant settings in Filipino movies during the 80s. They offer a limited selection of food, from mami, siopao, siomai, softdrinks, and bottled water.

We tried the special mami, special siopao, and siomai. The noodles was ok but the mami soup was too gamey for me to eat. Their siopao is good but it has a lot of salted egg inside, making it salty. Their siomai is big and meaty.

The noodles and siopao are handmade and the serving is quite big for me. That’s the reason why the price is not that cheap. It was a good experience eating out in a tradionally old eatery but overall the food there is not something I would crave for.

It was definitely a unique way to spend Valentines Day. It was like a tour in a some ways as I was also introduced to other known eateries in the area.

It’s been a year now since the best travel I’ve ever had. I’ve been away from blogging for a while, because I’ve been reviewing for MCP and studying PMP, but here I am now, unemployed and I have ample time to write about it.

This place is known for making good tasting wines. The famous Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House and a lot of their places are featured in different magazines all over the world. Because of those, I knew I loved Australia before I met it.

The Harbour Bridge

Preparation

Sydney featured in Scoot inflight magazine

us at Sydney Airport

It is very easy and convenient to apply for an Australia Tourist Visa in Singapore. You can either do it via the AVEC Center, which provides visa application processing services, or online at this link. Visa application fees range from 135 AUD to 340 AUD. We applied via AVEC Center and we were advised that the processing would take 10 days. However, after 5 days, the VISA was ready. We paid a service fee of 42 SGD. My cousin residing in Dubai tried to apply for a VISA online and it took them almost a month. We flew via Scoot, a Singapore based low-cost airline with routes predominantly from Singapore to Australia or China.

Day 1 – Brighton Beach and King Cross

Sydney Street

We were welcomed with a big hug from Liza’s friend Cath. After some rest and a snack at her house in Kogarah, she brought us to Hurricane Grill, a modern steakhouse in Grande Parade, Brighton Le-Sands. The restaurant just closed for lunch so we hung out at Brighton Le-Sands Beach first where we met some new friends. We went back to Hurricane Grill again, and this time it was open for dinner and we were their first customers for dinner that day. We tried the Pork Ribs, Prawns, Pumpkin Soup and Octopus Salad. The meat is very tender and tasteful; I also love the soup and salad a lot. It is actually the best soup and salad I’ve ever tasted. This is food to come back for.

at Brighton Le-Sands beach while waiting for Hurricane Grill to open for dinner

new found friends

drinks

Prawns

my favorite — Octopus Salad

Pork Ribs

After the nicest welcome dinner, we headed to King Cross. We booked a room for sharing at Jackaroo Hostel for that night; we shared a room with a nice Argentinian girl looking for a job in Sydney. We were able to roam around King Cross, take some photos and enjoy ice cream on a chilly night. Some people welcomed us by photobombing.

somewhere in KingCross

El Almein Fountain

the photobombers

at King Cross

Day 2 – Wattamolla and South Coast Wollongong

Wattamolla Beach

We had our first Australian breakfast of oats, milk, wheat breads, Vegemite, and some gluten-free wafer-like cereal, which I forgot the name of. Everything is plain and healthy and some were new to our taste.

breakfast area at Jackaroo Hostel

our breakfast

met new friend

Cath with her smarty pants son Mexie fetched us for a day in Wattamolla beach. Wattamolla is the first National Park in Australia with cliffs broken by beaches and deep river valleys. It is located in the south of Sydney. We went there for a picnic and sunbathing and there are more activities you can enjoy there, like kayaking, swimming, cycling, birds and whale-watching (just bring a binocular). But if you are looking for a more adventurous activity, you can jump in the water from 10-meter-high coastal cliffs.

Wattamolla Beach

the 3 tourists

body boarding

she didn’t even wet her hands

Ging walking in the trail

fishing

jumping off the cliff

Cath and I

We were already hungry by mid-afternoon. Cath drove us to the Wollogong area for a nice early dinner at Bombora Restaurant. This restaurant, set high in Wollongong Harbour has an indoor and outdoor dining space that gives access to an impressive view of the area. We ordered their specialty, which is the Bombora Basket. We also tried their mussels, Fish of the Day and Chicken Parmigiana. The food was good and we were so full that we didn’t finish the Hot Chocolate Prune Cake and Poached Pear.

Bombora Seafood Restaurant

Fish of the Day

Chicken Parmigiana

The Bombora Basket

Poached Pear

Hot Chocolate Prune Cake

While waiting for the food, I tried to explore the area formerly known as Baltimore Basin. It is home to a large fishing fleet — the reason why Pelicans love to stay in the area. It is an ideal place to hang out with friends or to just have a walk, as it is near a historic lighthouse named Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse.

It was a bit chilly for me that day, but Cath said that it’s good weather for the beach again so we went to Bondi Beach. Bondi Beach is a popular beach near the central district of Sydney. Aussies are beach lovers, and I was amazed how they enjoy the beach in a chilly weather. The beach wasn’t that crowded that day — I’ve seen how packed Bondi Beach is in the summer in photos.

sunbathing at Bondi Beach

at Bondi Beach

aslong Bondi Road

us at Bondi Beach

After chilling in the beach, we walked 3 kilometers to have lunch at JG café. Cath was craving for Filipino food and she found this Filipino restaurant on the Internet. We tried to walk fast so that we didn’t feel cold, so I was like a bit sweaty and cold at the same time. JG Café is a Filipino-owned restaurant serving Filipino and Western food. They also serve baked goods like cupcakes readily available in a display shelf. The food is ok but not that great, but the service of the owner is great. He chatted with us for us not be bored while waiting for our food.

along the way

to Sydney Opera House

picture! picture!

at Harbour Bridge

inside Sydney Opera House

view of Circular Quay

We headed to the suburbs with our heavy tummy. We were so excited to finally see the central business district, particularly Ging. Circular Quay is a picturesque place. I especially like how it looked like with the before-sunset glow. We visited the Sydney Opera House, which is famous for being one of the most distinctive buildings of 20th century. It received attention during Sydney 2000 Olympics for being included in the Olympic Torch route to the Olympic stadium. From then, it became the backdrop of some Olympic events. Near the Opera House is the Sydney Harbour Bridge — the world’s largest steel arch bridge standing at its highest point 440 ft. above Sydney Harbour. I was in awe – I was so happy to see these places.

The Sydney Opera House – view from ferry

We caught a ferry to Manly Beach to enjoy the view of the area from water. It was getting cold so we did not walk around Manly Beach, or maybe the real reason was because we were enticed by the nicest smell of coffee and chocolate from Max Brenner. I know! There’s Max Brenner in Singapore and even in Philippines, but we are just humans with sweet tooths and a love for coffee.

Sydney Opera House

the bridge at night

Max Brenner

my latte

waffles

ferry ticket

Day 4 – Blue Mountains

Blue Mountains

Our target place for this day was a world heritage-listed site named Blue Mountains. Before going there, we had a late lunch at Yellow Deli in Katoomba. The place made me feel like I was in a movie setting. The deli looks interestingly organic, like the food they serve. The interior is composed of wooden bucket inspired warm lights; the tables and the chairs are made from different sizes of recycled timbers that gave us an eccentric feel. The toilet is just as cozy with walls of old photos and newspaper articles that are readable. The menu is mostly sandwiches and salads but the quality of the breads and greens are so good. We tried the soup of the week, which is pumpkin soup, plus the smoked chicken sandwich, the best Reuben sandwich I’ve ever tasted, and a Chef Salad. The choices of drinks are very fascinating; I loved both the Hot Apple Cider and the Hot Not Chocolate.

The Yellow Deli

inside the deli

wooden bucket inspired light

the gang ready for food

the yummy sandwiches and salad

Hot Apple Cider and Hot Not Chocolate

toilet wall

signs

We enjoyed the stimulating lunch and the ambiance of the Deli, and it was already mid-afternoon when we arrived at Blue Mountains. The place is said to be called Blue Mountains because of the blue haze that hovers over the area. It is a famous tourist spot for nature lovers and a popular place for rock climbers, mountain bikers and hikers. We don’t have much time; we focus on a particular place which is the Scenic World. This tourist attraction provides a scenic experience for tourists. The Scenic Walkway gave us a feel of touring a Jurassic rainforest. The Scenic Cableway gave us a panoramic view of the Blue Mountains and the Scenic Railway which thrilled us with its 52 degree incline riding experience with the steepest passenger railway in the world. Too bad they are open until 5pm only we were not able to try the Scenic Skyway. It’s nature adventure overload!

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If you see a postcard with a bird’s eye view of huts made of nipa and bamboo connected by wooden foot bridges lying on a coral blue sea shore, you know its Maldives.

speedboat going to CentaraCentra Resort, Maldives

We spent our third day in one of the known resorts in the country — the Centara RasFushi Resort. The owner of the Inn ‘Mazin’ gave us the idea that we could do a day tour of a lot of resorts in Maldives. It cost us six 100sgd per person. The day tour consists of a speed boat ride to bring you to the resort and back to the inn, buffet lunch at Oceans Restaurant, unlimited drinks and use of swimming pool in Waves Pool Bar, and access to some areas of the resort not including access near the water villas.

me at Centara RasFushi Resort

It was so hot that day but it didn’t stop the girls from exploring the resort while I relaxed on a sun bed fronting the sea. There were Korean couples doing pre-nuptial photos by themselves with the help of a tripod and trigger and some props like balloons. There was even a small wedding held in a secluded area of the beach.

the girls at Centara

Waves Pool Bar was generous with alcohol in our drinks. Note that you can only get alcohol In Maldives from resorts bars as it is a 100% Muslim country. It was relaxing and tiring at the same time. It’s a shame that we didn’t stay in a resort for a night, it’s a must.

beach front

Since dinner is not included on the day tour at Centara, our tour guide brought us to Dinemore Restaurant. It’s a Sri Lankan food chain that serves pizza, submarine sandwiches and other dishes. The submarine though not so stuffed taste nice and the price is not bad. For tomorrow, i don’t think we can do any activities as the sea planes are fully booked. Anyway, we don’t have much time as our flight is at 12nn. If you are planning of going to Maldives, I listed below some of activities and tips that I think would be useful.

Activities and tours you can do in Maldives

Male’ Tour – a transfer from local ferry to Male’ was accompanied by a guide. You can discover the history of the capital city and visit places including the Fish Market, the Friday Mosque, The National Museum and Sultan Park. The remainder of the day is free for you to explore Male’, buy souvenirs, or just watch the world go by from a local coffee house. Cost per person is $10.00. Actually, if you would do this by yourselves, free and easy you just need tobpay for the ferry ride to/from Male.

Island Hopping – 3-hr trip to 2 local islands for 2 persons is US $200.00. For 3 to 6 persons, it’s US $85.00 per person. Maldives is composed of almost 2,000 islands, just talk to your tour guide which are possible to go to from the island you were staying.

Dolphin Watching – 2-hr trip for 2 persons is US $100.00. For 2 to 6 persons, it’s US $45.00 per person. I haven’t seen a dolphin in my life but I was thinking I might when I scuba dive so I didn’t join this tour. But when I asked my travel buddies how was the dolphin watching, their faces lighten up telling me they enjoy just waiting for the dolphins to come at sunset.

Kuda Bandos (Picnic Island) – Full day. For 2 persons, US $120.00. For 3 to 6 persons, US $45.00 per person (excluding entrance fee of US $11.00 per person) Kuda Bandos can be included in your island hop, know your options.

Submarine Tour – 45 minutes dive per person is $85.00. Round Trip Seaplane Ride — 45 minutes dive is $85.00 per person. For these activities try to book in advance, it’s really hard to get booked, they need atleast 8 people to do the trip.

Manta Snorkeling – 2-hr trip for 2 persons is US $130.00. For 3 to 6 persons, it’s US $60.00 per person. Snorkeling (Banana Reef, Kurumba House Reef and Coral Garden) is a 2-hr trip, for 2 persons it’s US $100.00. For 3 to 6 people, it’s US $45.00 per person. Some Tips: It’s cheaper if you book directly to the resort and find the resort you want to stay in a day in advance as some of the resorts we intended to visit were already full for the day. Same goes with the activities. If you want to dive it is cheaper if you go straight to the dive centers than when you book with your hotel. Tigerairways offers the cheapest flight from Singapore, for as low as less than 300 sgd. For this travel, I spent 1,200 sgd all in all (souvenir items I bought included).

Natz and I woke up early to have a glimpse of the sunrise in Hulhumale from the Inn’s roof deck. We had to be ready for scuba diving before 8am so we got ready before going to breakfast. Breakfast in Newtown Inn is a simple meal of the semi-spicy sausage, fried egg, a loaf of bread with jam and butter on the side and coffee. We wanted to load up for a long day in the ocean but there was no menu other than what they served so we just brought water and a snack.

We reached ProScuba before 8am. The Taiwanese owner brought us to a bigger dive centre where all other scuba diving centres rent equipment for their clients. We waited for our turn to get the equipment we needed then headed to the bay to wait for our ferry. It was scorching hot already when we left for the ocean.

On the ferry, it seemed like we were the only newbies in that trip. A girl dive instructor came to us and introduced herself but we ended up being handled by a Sri Lankan guy dive instructor named Sarath. He is a man of few words, he smiled when he introduced himself but I could feel that he was somewhat strict. I spend the travel time telling Natz of the fantastic experiences I had in Scuba Diving to make her feel good about trying it.

We got ready as soon as we approached the first Dive spot which is called the ‘Coral Reef.’ I was starting to get nervous and excited at the same time and I knew Natz felt the same though she was more nervous than excited. It was time to jump, Sarath went first and showed us how to do the Giant Stride. I followed, struggling a bit with the weight of the gear I was wearing. When it was Natz’s turn, she panicked and almost quit.

I was surprised, because I thought that the person who could swim well would be more confident in Scuba Diving but it really depends the person. I know Natz was thinking way forward like what if we die. Anyway, jumping into the ocean is the hardest part of Scuba Diving. Sarath tried to calm her when she floated on the water and I think she was just not used to breathing in and out of the regulator. Sarath instructed us to swim towards the shallow part of the sea to do the basic test.

In Scuba Diving, a diver who is not PADI or SSI certified is restricted to do the Discover Scuba diving course, which is the entry level one. This meant that I always have to do the basic test which includes ‘Regulator Retrieval’ and ‘Mask Clearing’ underwater. Sarath had a hard time – others were already exploring the reef when he decided to stop the test because Natz and I had a hard time sinking. He said it might be because we were not breathing properly. We finally started moving and I tried to take a lot of photos to divert Natz’s attention from being scared.

What I love about scuba diving is that I find peace under the sea while being amazed with God’s wonderful creations. I saw some lobster, barracudas, sea cucumbers, anemones, parrot fish, etc. We girls got a few scratches from corals as the diving suits we were wearing were the short type. I didn’t find the dive site very interesting though, maybe because we didn’t go deeper than 10 meters. Sarath said the turtles are 15 meters ocean deep. Anyway, I was so proud of Natz for finishing the course alive, hehe.

Moving to the next destination, we sunbathed on the deck of the ferry while chatting with Sarath. I still wanted to dive but sadly they only brought enough tanks for what we registered. Sarath told me that he could accompany me in snorkeling on the next dive site instead. I can’t swim and I thought snorkelling with a life vest is boring, so good for me. We stopped at Kurumba Island and I was so amazed with the power of fins to make me float plus Sarath’s help. That site was way better than the first one.

There was a tank-like thing standing in the sea and below that was a school of fish. How I wish I dived in Kurumba instead. Aside from a lot of fishes, ever cute clown fishes, I saw a manta ray and a baby shark in Kurumba. It really made my day. Natz at the same time enjoyed snorkelling with just her goggles. She is a good swimmer and we were able to maximize our time underwater.

The day was really tiring. Diving was like effortless workout and we didn’t even feel hungry after. The girls were not yet back from Island hopping when we came back to the inn so we went for an early dinner first. They arrived when we are about to go out to cycle. The bicycle seats were too high for us and they were really uncomfortable, so we ended up returning them in the Inn and took a stroll instead.

Before bedtime, we spent half an hour with the girls discussing what to do the next day. It was really hard to book for a sea plane and submarine ride so we all agreed to visit and stay in a resort for a day. It was a long day as expected, but it was another good diving experience to cherish.